Faith in the Balance: ASEAN’s Quest for Religious Freedom Amidst Cultural Diversity

What is it about?

This article investigates the issues that ASEAN countries confront in protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in varied cultural contexts. Using a qualitative method, the paper first examines international and regional frameworks to investigate how ASEAN nations combine FoRB responsibilities with national sovereignty, demonstrating conflicts between global norms and regional autonomy. It then examines constitutional safeguards across ASEAN, discovering common themes in shared ideas and diverse implementations. The analysis identifies issues that impede FoRB, such as state religion designations, conditional protections, and gaps between constitutional aspirations and practice. Issues like as state involvement in religious practices, barriers to pluralism in single-faith cultures, and various institutional systems for FoRB control highlight the intricacies involved. These findings imply that the successful preservation of FoRB necessitates a sophisticated strategy that respects national sovereignty while protecting individual liberty.

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